Never Old Enough
by lirio de amor
Summary: Alice does not always feel as if she belongs with the rest of her siblings. What happens when Alice let's this cloud her visions, and she takes her attitude to far? Slightly OC. Normal pairing. Mother/Daughter bonding.


Background:

The Cullen's:

Ages: Power:

Carlisle Cullen 28 Self-Control

Esme Cullen 26 Abnormally High Motherly Instincts

Emmett Cullen 17 Stronger Than Average Vampire

Rosalie Cullen 15 Technologically Advanced

Edward Cullen 15 Mind reader

Jasper Cullen 14 Empath

Alice Cullen 13 Seer

Carlisle Cullen bit Esme in 1860 after she fell to her death from jumping off a cliff. She had jumped because she had lost her newborn, a boy child, and could not live through life with her abusive husband any longer.

After twenty years together, Carlisle and Esme were walking home from a play when they heard the desperate screams of a young girl human. In 1880, Rosalie had been beaten to near death by her future husband. The things that had been done to her were unimaginable. Esme had grabbed her up and ran home with her as quickly as she could, with Carlisle close to her. They laid her on their bed and both bit her at the same time, making her their vampire daughter to save her from impending death. Rosalie had been fifteen years old and would forever remain so.

Three years later in 1883, Rosalie and Esme had been hunting, something that Rosalie had yet to do in front of Carlisle, when they came across a boy being mauled by a bear. Killing the bear, and grabbing the boy, Esme repeated the exact same thing she had three years prior. She and Carlisle bit the boy, making him their vampire son.

For several years the family of four lived as a family, moving from place to place to avoid suspicion. In 1911, while working in an overnight infirmary, Carlisle came across a young boy that was near death. The boys' mother begged Carlisle to save her son, to save her son in a way that only he could. Carlisle obliged, and took the boy home, and together he and Esme bit the boy, Edward, bringing him into their lives, as well as Rosalie and Emmet's.

Four years later was when Jasper came into their lives. He was a fourteen year old boy that had worked the streets, fighting his way through turf war after turf war, when one day luck was not on his side and he was struck hard on the head. Barely alive, Carlisle had found him late one night under a pile of wooden crates. Once again, he and Esme did what they felt they should.

Ten years later in 1925, their baby came to them.

Rosalie actually found Alice. She was floating in a river, barely breathing. She had somehow escaped from a hospital and fallen into the river, nearly drowning herself. Rosalie carried her home in her arms, begging her parents to change the small girl child. At the time, they had thought that she was around nine, ten, or maybe eleven years old. She was very short and thin, and looked very young in the face. After Esme and Carlisle turned her, and she came through the vampire change, she told them that she was in fact thirteen.

Somehow, Carlisle and Esme knew that their family was complete, and since Alice, had not come across another child in need. They now saw their family as being whole, and loved each of their children with their entire being. They always told one another that they had created their children out of love, together, and it was true.

They were immortally young, and had their forever young children. Each of their children had their good and bad qualities, and got into trouble every now and then. That was what children did: young ones and teenagers.

Carlisle and Esme both loved their children deeply, though, and nothing would change that.

And, no matter what happened, those children would always love their Mom and Dad.

*

*

*

Present Day

Alice Cullen listened to her parents scold her older brother, Edward. He had been avoiding them for several days, and they had finally caught on to the fact.

Parents can be so dense. Alice thought to herself, slowly trying to decide what to wear to school. She had no desire to go to school and have to go through the sex talk again. Not today. She simply was not in the mood.

Again, Alice listened to her father and mother reprimand her brother.

Edward had not fed in weeks, and his eyes had finally started to turn black. In fact, this morning his eyes had been pitch black and there had been no more hiding.

"Edward, you will stay home with your mother and hunt this morning. Under no circumstances are you NOT to hunt. However, you will remain under house arrest for the next few weeks for disobeying us. You know the rules. You are to hunt at least once a week. We make the rules we do for a reason." Carlisle told his son. Carlisle never raised his voice, but all of his children knew that when he was getting onto them, that he meant business. Their mother was another story. She was the kindest person in the world, but she let two things be known very quickly: you threatened her kids, you would answer to her, and if her kids misbehaved, they would also answer to her.

"I apologize, Dad, Mom. I just didn't think that it mattered." Edward started. Alice stopped listening to the conversation after that and continued to get ready. It was pointless really, because yes, Edward did know that it mattered, and he went through this little stage of his at least once every ten years. It was like a never ending battle. One that Edward honestly thought he would win some day.

Alice's hair was still wet from her morning shower, and she had a towel wrapped around her. She usually loved choosing what she wanted to wear, but today was not one of those days.

Suddenly, Alice heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Alice said. She looked over towards the door and watched her mother walk in.

"Alice, honey, are you not ready yet?" Esme asked her youngest daughter. She had to go through this same instance at least three times a week. It always seemed to take her two daughters forever to get ready in the mornings, no matter what time they started doing so.

"Mom, can I please stay home today?" Alice asked her mother, walking a few steps closer to her.

Esme walked up to her towel wrapped daughter and kissed her forehead.

"No sweetheart. Not today. You have to go to school." Esme told her.

"Mom…" Alice whined slightly.

"No, Alice. Now go get dressed, Sweetie. You have to leave soon."

"Fine." Alice huffed, and walked towards her closet, brushing her mother off.

Esme sighed. Usually she would never allow her children to blow her off in the manner Alice just had, but already her day was getting longer and longer, much more so than usual.

*

*

*

Esme checked on each of her children as they got ready for school every morning.

In order to make sure that each one actually got to school, she had to make sure that they were not sidetracked from various other things. Her oldest son, Emmet, was usually sidetracked by small things, but always seemed to be one of the first ones ready. It actually amazed Esme sometimes.

This morning had taken longer than usual since she and Carlisle had had to chastise Edward for his disobedience and she had been unable to check on them as early as she normally would; however, slowly but surely they were getting their acts together.

Alice slowly walked down the steps in black tights and flats, with a light purple baby doll dress over them, and glared at her mother.

Inwardly, Esme sighed. She had a feeling that this morning was going to get worse.

"Mom, can I please stay home?" Alice asked her mother once more, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes that always worked on her father, especially since she was so young and looked even younger. Her mother, however, was another story. Pouty faces did not work on her the way that they did her father.

"No, Alice, you will go to school just as any other day." Esme told her. Alice continued to look up at her mother.

"Mom, that is not fair." Alice snapped. Esme's eyebrows rose up slightly.

"Young lady, we are not going to discuss this. You are going to school and that is final."

Then Alice did something that Esme had not seen her do since she was a newborn vampire.

She stomped her right foot on the ground and glared up at her mother, her hands on her hips.

Esme shot her a look that said, 'do not even go there'. Alice huffed and rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever."

"Alice Cullen, come here." Esme demanded. Alice looked at her mother in shock. She knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Noooooo . . ." Alice said in a low, long, drawn out whine. Esme didn't give her a chance to respond any further, but instead went over to her daughter and swatted her twice, in quick succession, on her butt.

"Now, go get in that car and go to school young lady." Esme told her firmly, yet softly.

She pushed past her mother, hitting her slightly with her arm, which Esme chose to ignore under the circumstances, and walked outside in the rain to get in the backseat of Rosalie's car.

"Ugh!" Alice screamed, knowing good and well that her Mom could hear her. Alice then crossed her arms and sat back in the seat. Her mom could be so irritating sometimes. She had not deserved that spanking, no matter what her mother thought!

From inside the house, Esme sighed deeply and shook her head. Sometimes her children really did not know when to quit. She hated to punish her children in that manner, but sometimes they needed reminding that she and Carlisle were the parents and they were the kids. Alice rarely ever saw the wrath of her hand, but when she did, there was no doubt that she deserved it.

*

*

*

The rain dripping on the window sill of the classroom was about to drive Alice mad. She had already counted the incessant dripping up to number three hundred and sixty-nine. And that had only been in the last ten minutes.

Alice sighed deeply and sank down in her chair, looking at all the other twelve year old kids in her seventh grade class. It wasn't fair that her parents had made her start in this grade…again. It was boring, and after starting in this grade exactly sixty-eight times…well to say the least it was hard to sit there and listen to the boring information. Of course, they had made her start as low as the fifth grade in the past.

Still…the seventh grade was always one of the worst. It was when the dreaded sex ed. class came into play. It was so annoying that Alice had to sit through this class all the time. Alice and her parents had had a major blow out argument over the grade choosing this time though, something that rarely happened.

Alice usually respected her parents' wishes. She had even been mad at her father this time though and had given everyone the silent treatment for nearly three weeks. Esme and Carlisle had tried to explain to her that she would never make it past the ninth grade, let alone start there. She would probably never even make it there. Alice looked very young, and it was hard to make her look older than 12 or 13, even if she was forever stuck as a thirteen year old.

They had compromised with her this time. They would live here for two years and she could start as a seventh grader; however, when they moved the next time she would have to start in either the fifth or sixth. It was possible. They had started her out that young on several occasions, it just depended on the way that they dressed her. She was also not allowed to wear makeup during these years. It was nearly a constant battle with her mother during those years. Alice would want to dress a certain way and Esme would veto it, saying that it was inappropriate. Esme always won these fights, but it certainly did not stop them from happening.

Hesitantly, Alice raised her hand, knowingly turning off the visions of the future in her head. Sometimes, in order to do what she most wanted, she had to ignore the future. Otherwise her life would be quite dull. And, Alice did like to live dangerously at times, though if her parents ever found out some of the things that she did, she would be grounded forever.

Mrs. Bagel, the seventh grade science and math teacher, looked up, surprised that Alice Cullen was offering to speak in class. Alice was an excellent student, but never willingly volunteered to talk in class unless it was to another student. She was, however, usually a hyper child that had trouble sitting still for more than ten minutes at a time. Today she had been oddly quiet, and Mrs. Bagel wondered silently if her parents had finally decided to put her on ADHD medication. They had had several meetings about the prospect, but her parents had always told the school that they would discuss things with Alice. For about a week after each meeting, Alice had been able to contain herself, but after that she always went back to the hyper child that she had been.

"Yes, Alice?"

"May I please be excused to the restroom?" Alice asked politely.

"Of course, Alice. Take a hall pass." Mrs. Bagel told her.

She slowly walked to the front of the room, grabbed the pass, and walked out of the classroom.

*

*

*

Walking down the hall, Alice looked around to make sure that no one was around, especially her siblings.

Rosalie and Emmett were probably making out somewhere…though if they got caught again, their parents were going to kill them. Particularly since the last time they had gotten caught at a school, they had been expelled. Their parents had been livid and Emmett and Rosalie had been grounded for a very long time. They had barely been able to even look at one another.

Jasper was in gym, and although Alice would love for him to come along, she refused to get her mate and best friend in trouble. It wasn't his fault that he had been changed at a later age than she had. Even if it was only a year, Jasper looked much older than Alice. He could easily pass as sixteen or seventeen, but no higher.

Edward…with his stupid mind reading abilities hadn't come to school today because he hadn't fed in a while, against their parents' wishes, and had been made to stay at home.

Thinking of this, Alice laughed. But, at the same time, she was not happy. She should have been able to stay home when she had asked her Mom if she could…but she had been told quickly that she was not staying home from school.

Alice honestly couldn't believe that she had done what she had; that had stomped her foot, earning her a glare from her Mom that said, 'Don't even go there, young lady. She had huffed, rolled her eyes, and then went out and sat in the backseat of Rosalie's car to wait on her sister. The boys had driven themselves this morning, so sitting in the back had been pointless, but to Alice it was simply proving a point to her mother.

Suddenly, Alice stopped. That was it….she knew what she was going to do….because she didn't see any visions of the future telling her that she would get caught…so there could not be much harm in a little fun…

*

*

*

Alice's POV

I was tired of staying in school. Especially since Edward got to stay home. It wasn't fair. Just because I had been turned when I was 14…and had to go to school over and over again, even when I didn't want too…

It just wasn't fair.

So, I walked slowly to Rosalie's locker.

I opened her locker and grabbed her car keys.

Then I walked to her car and got in.

Finally…I started it. I felt a tingle go down my spine. Excitement or fear traveled down my back. I am not sure which; I just knew that I was going to leave school without permission.

I knew how to drive, but unlike my brothers and sister, I would never be able to age to the point where I would actually be allowed to have a driver's license or even a permit to drive with Mom or Dad. Mom and Dad never let me drive anyways. I had only been taught in case something came up and I had no other choice.

Today, however, things were different. I was tired of being at school. I was tired of being the baby. I was tired of never getting to do the stuff that Mom and Dad let the others do, all because it wouldn't look right to the outside world, all because I had been changed so much earlier than the others had.

It wasn't that it was much…it was just the point that I was not allowed to do a few things that the others could. Simple things really, like DRIVE!

Sigh.

I put the car in reverse and backed out of the school parking lot and started to drive down the road. I didn't know where, but I knew that I was free from school, my sister, my brothers, and my parents.

They really had no idea what it was like to be the youngest. Mom and Dad were often dictators, though Mom more so than Dad. Rosalie thought that she was the boss of everyone when they were away, and the stupid thing was that Mom and Dad usually did tell her that she was in charge, even though Edward was the same age as she was and Emmet was older than she was. Emmett was just big and clueless, much younger acting than I ever thought about being, and Edward was a know it all that always got himself into trouble when he thought he knew better than Mom and Dad.

Jasper was the only normal one. He was quiet and thoughtful. He hardly ever got into trouble. But he was stuck at a young age as well, and was barely permitted to do much more than I was.

Fifteen minutes later I had driven towards downtown, which is, by all means, not much, when my cell phone rang. It was in my pocket, so I pulled it out and answered it, not even thinking about looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Alice Brandon Cullen what in the world do you think that you are doing?"

Oh no. It was my mother. Esme Cullen. And she was NOT happy. In fact, she sounded pissed, something that she never was and especially was never geared towards me. Usually, she was soft spoken, quick to fix my hurts and insecurities. But, I knew that I had overstepped this time. I had disobeyed her and that was not something you got away with in our home.

Now she was angry.

"Um…Mom…I…."

"Alice Cullen, you had better get home right this minute young lady." Mom demanded, but never let her voice rise above its' normal tone.

"And if I don't?"

Crap, what in the world was I thinking? I had just backed talked my Mom. This was not me. I didn't do stuff like this. Well, not to Mom anyways.

That was a punishable offense. Probably more so then skipping school and taking Rosalie's car combined.

"Alice Cullen, get home right this minute. You, your father, and I are going to have a serious conversation when you get here, do you understand young lady?" Mom said.

I sighed. Of course I understood. I understood that I was in major trouble.

"Do you understand me, young lady?" She asked me again. I knew better than to ignore the question again.

"Yes ma'am."I said through gritted teeth, and then continued with, "Why don't you make me?" then, completely by impulse, I hung up the phone.

I was dead. Or, rather, I was dead again. I had never hung up on my mother. I rarely ever back talked to her. Today I had even stomped my foot and rolled my eyes. I was in SO much trouble.

Sigh.

* * *

Carlisle's POV

I was sitting in the kitchen with my pacing wife, her arms crossed over her chest, waiting on our youngest daughter to return home from her misadventures.

Alice had never been one to disobey our rules, but today was the exception. I believe that she has officially broken nearly every rule that we have ever set for her. In fact, I do not believe that I have ever seen Esme this angry with our youngest.

"She hung up on me, Carlisle. She even said 'Why don't you make me?' when I asked her if she understood me! This morning she stomped her foot at me. She rolled her eyes. She pushed past me as if she didn't have a care in the world! She screamed when she got in Rosalie's car. She even back talked to me on the phone. Alice never misbehaves like this. " Esme said, torn between anger and confusion, which was, in turn, set off by the love she held for Alice, her youngest immortal child. Her baby.

"She is here." Esme whispered, hearing the car pull up several seconds before I did. I would have to say that it was her motherly instincts at work. She always heard things pertaining to the children long before I did or was even able to.

"Carlisle, I think that maybe you should talk to her first. I am too upset with her right now. Talk to her, please…then I will talk with both of you. I think that is how this is going to have to be handled." Esme asked me, her arms never uncrossing from her chest. I knew that she was asking me to take her place for a few minutes.

Those few minutes could be the difference between Esme calming down enough to figure out what was wrong with Alice or a mother/daughter fight that would last the entire night, and eventually, possibly, figuring out what was wrong with our little pixie. But no matter what, on the rare occasion that the two of them did start to fight, they would fight for hours before calming down. It was the simple fact that Alice, when upset, would smart off.

Esme was no fan of smart alleck children, and rarely did we have an issue with it; although, Rosalie had an attitude, she knew when and when not to let it show, especially with us.

Alice had really stepped over a line with her mother this time. It was so rarely that she got in trouble…but she had over done it this time. One thing after another, and she had built a castle with them.

I sat at the kitchen table and watched Alice walk in from the garage, her head down, staring at her feet. At least she felt some shame for what she had done and hadn't come into the house as if she had done nothing. That would not have made either her mother or me happy.

"Alice, please come sit at the table." I told her.

She dropped her bags on the floor beside the door. Had Esme been in here, I have no doubt that she would not have done that, but I let it slide. We had other pressing matters to deal with, and minor things like that would have to pass for now.

She sat down in the chair across from me, and refused to look up.

"Alice."

Still she did not look up.

"Alice, look at me now." I told her firmly, but gently. She finally looked up at me.

"Do you realize that you have broken nearly every rule that your mother and I have laid out for you? Not only that, but you practically dared your mother to try and discipline you and hung up on your her, Alice. That is, by far, the worst of all the other things combined. It was very disrespectful. She said that you even stomped your foot at her this morning, then went out to your sisters' car and screamed." I told her.

She looked at me with a look of remorse and hurt, with a hint of defiance, which I disapproved of immensely.

"Mom spanked me! That was uncalled for, too! And, I am bored with school. Nothing new ever happens. I never get to go through the grades that the guys and Rosalie get too. That isn't fair. They have even gotten to graduate from high school! I will never get too." She said in a whiny, pouty voice that was almost irritating, even to me; and, I never tired of listening to Alice talk.

"That is no reason to treat your mother with the blatant disrespect that you showed her today. And, if your mother punished you, she had good reason, too."

"Whatever." Alice smarted off, sat back, and then crossed her arms over her chest. I stared at her in shock and disbelief. I could not believe that that word had come from her mouth. Coming from Alice, it was nearly the same as if she had cursed at me.

"Alice, do you ever want freedom again? You are very close to losing it for an undefined amount of time. You are also very close to getting another spanking." I told her in a calm, even tone. She looked up at me, shocked that I would even suggest that she could lose her privileges forever and get spanked.

"I am sorry." She whispered, looking down at her lap. I could not quite tell if she meant what she said or not, but I knew that she had had a vision and could see that she was very close to the things I had mentioned.

"Alice, do you really think that I am the person that you should be saying that you are sorry too? Even if your words are not as sincere as they should be?"

She looked back up at me, and shook her head no. Of course she knew that the person she needed to be talking to was her mother. I had a feeling that she was thankful that she didn't have to face Esme quite yet.

"I do mean it, Daddy." She said, bowing her head down and sniffling. I looked down at her and sighed.

"You will get a chance to talk to your mother, that I can promise you. First, I really want to know why you did what you did today. The school called your mother and told her that you had taken your sister's car and skipped school. They watched you take the car Alice, and called your mother immediately. You have been suspended for five days, and are lucky that they called her, not the police. Although, when your mother is done with you, you may well wish that you had been taken in by the police." I told her, hoping that all of this was sinking in.

In our world, sticking out was a big no. My children knew this, but it did not stop them from occasionally rebelling. They were, for certain, our forever teenagers and we accepted them as thus.

"I understand." She whimpered. I could tell from her face that she probably had a feeling of what was to come. I could also tell that she was starting to feel genuinely sorry, and so I wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible so that she could talk to Esme. Punishment or not, Alice needed closure. Things would not be right until they talked to each other.

Esme would be in the living room, still a tad angry, but at the same time fretting for Alice's feelings and wellbeing. Alice, on the other hand, would be letting the apprehension get the better of her, which in the long run would mean that she would start smarting off again. This could lead to her getting into much more trouble than she already was in, and none of us wanted that.

"Alice, your mother and I are very upset with you. You skipped school, you stole your sister's car, and you yelled at your mother. From my understanding, you pushed past her after she spanked you and hung up on her after back talking to her. You know that those things are wrong, yet you chose to do them anyways, can you explain to me exactly why?" I asked her. Alice was trying to look at me, but it was not going well. I think that she feared whatever look I might have on my face.

"I'm sorry. School is just so boring. I was going crazy in there today." She told me, her head once again looking down at the table.

"Why didn't you call your mother and ask her if she would come get you?" I asked her. She looked down.

"Because I was mad at her! She wouldn't let me stay home when I asked her this morning and because she spanked me!" Alice said loudly, nearly screaming. I remained calm, for there was nothing else I could do in this situation at the moment.

"Alice I think that we both know that there is something more than that. We also both know that your mother has good reason to make you go to school. What else is bothering you sweet heart?" I urged her to go ahead. I could tell that she was ignoring her visions…the only time that she ever got in trouble was when she did that. We never told her that she could not ignore them, but we never tried to get her to ignore them either. They were just a part of the Alice that we all know and love.

"I'm sorry Daddy! Sometimes I am just mad about the fact that I am stuck so young, that I won't ever get to do all of the things that the guys and Rosie get to do! So, I stole the car and skipped. I won't do it again, I promise. Next time that I think something stupid like this is going to happen I will talk to you or Mama!" She whimpered, jumping from her seat and flying around the table. She threw her arms around my neck and sobbed tearlessly into my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and kissed the top of her head.

"Alice, you know that you are grounded for awhile? Also, that your Mama very well may spank you again for your disobedience?" I asked her gently. She nodded her head into my shoulder and let out a low sob.

Just then, I watched as Esme came in and stood behind her. The look on Esme's face was full of pure love, the kind of unconditional love that only a mother can bring. Don't get me wrong, I love my children unconditionally, but Esme had a special gift with this, and always knew exactly what each of our children needed and when they needed it. I could try to understand it, but I would never be able to fully.

Esme reached her arms out to embrace our youngest daughter from behind, leaning her chin on top of Alice's head.

"Alice, baby, come here." Esme said, pulling Alice towards her and turning her around, so that Alice was facing her.

"I love you, so very much." Esme said, pulling her into a tight embrace. Without thinking twice, I walked over to them and wrapped my arms around them both.

How long we stayed this way, I have no idea, but it was quite a while before Alice spoke again.

"Mama, I am so sorry for everything. I promise that I will never do that again." Alice said, leaning against her mother, who was continuously placing kisses on top of her head and rubbing her back soothingly.

"Never say never. Sweetie, it is okay to break rules sometimes, because we do not expect you to be perfect. You are internally thirteen years old. You can't behave 24 hours a day, 7 days a week forever. That isn't going to happen. Neither your father nor I expect…or even want that. But you can also not expect to NOT get punished for the wrongdoings that you do. It doesn't work that way." Esme told her. I smiled down at them.

"I love you, Mama." Alice said, squeezing Esme tightly with her small arms.

Esme took a deep breath.

"Alice, you are grounded for a month. You know that this means no shopping, computer, television, or music. You will have extra chores, and you may help me or your father. You may read, and that is about it. As for the spanking your father mentioned, I am not sure yet. Do you deserve? Yes. But, I am not quite sure yet. But, remember, we are doing this because we love you very much." She told Alice.

"Yes, Alice. We love you very much. Please use this as a lesson. You are our baby, and we do not want anything to happen. We make the rules for our children to protect them, not to upset them." I told her. I wanted very badly for her to understand our side, and not just think that we were being unkind.

"And Alice, sweetheart, if you ever, and I do mean ever, hang up on me again, I will tan your backside to the point that you will not wish to sit down for a very, very long time. I will take a lot of things, but that is not one of them. You know better than that." Esme told Alice softly. Alice nodded her head, which was still pressed tightly against Esme's chest. I could tell that Esme was still debating whether to give Alice a predefined number of swats to her backside for her misbehavior or not.

As I stepped away from them, Esme still holding Alice close to her, the garage door slammed open.

Rosalie, furious, stood in the doorway.

"Alice Cullen! How DARE you take my car!"

"Rosalie, all of this has been handled, and your sister would like to apologize to you, however, not if you verbally attack her." Esme told our oldest daughter.

To my surprise, Rosalie calmed down quickly; much faster than I had anticipated. She must have been aware of the thick atmosphere in the kitchen.

"I am sorry Mom, but she could have gotten into a lot of trouble! The school saw her!"

"We are aware of that, and while your sister is being disciplined, that is really none of your concern. You will not come in this house screaming at anyone though. Okay?" I asked Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded.

"Sorry, Mom, Dad." Rosalie said, her head bent down.

"Okay. Now, why don't you both go up to your rooms while your father and I have a chat? And, Alice, do not forget that you are grounded. So, you may read and nothing else. I will be up shortly to talk to you." Esme said.

Alice and Rosalie both nodded. Rosalie was still a little angry with her baby sister, but looked at her with a face full of sympathy. She knew what it meant if Esme was going to go and 'discuss' things with Alice in a little bit. Alice was still upset with her mother and me and school. It was just something that would have to be worked on given the time to do so.

!$%*(*%$%&*(

Esme's POV

I stood by Carlisle's side as we watched our daughters head towards the stairs. Mentally, I was exhausted. It never is fun to discipline ones child. Alice was especially hard. The fact that she was so rarely in trouble, and was so much a child in looks and size, did not help matters at all. Today had been a never ending battle with her.

The boys were always in trouble for one thing or another. Being boys, they were always breaking something or arguing over whose turn it was to play one game or another.

Rosalie was stubborn and back talked often, so she was always getting one privilege or another taken away from her. But, at the same time, she usually knew exactly when she had overstepped herself, and would start to back off immediately. She found it very shameful and humiliating to be punished physically, and would try to back off before it came to that.

Alice, at thirteen forever, was in major trouble about once every couple of years, and minor trouble only a couple times a year. Neither Carlisle nor I had used corporal punishment on her in years.

"They will be fine, my love." Carlisle whispered into my ear, wrapping his arms around my stomach from behind and resting his chin on the top of my head.

"I cannot believe that she would take Rosalie's car though. She is suspended for five days. Alice has never been suspended. She has only received detention four times in the last thirty years! Perhaps we need to talk to her more. Something is bothering her."

"It is the youngest child syndrome, Sweetie. She is bothered that we do not let her do as much as the others sometimes. Which is true, we don't, but she also has the mentality of a thirteen year old child. She is smart and knows a lot of things, but there are things that she will never be permitted to do if we wish to remain undetected." Carlisle said. I knew that he was right. Alice knew, in the bottom of her heart, that we only had her best interests at heart and that we would never keep her from doing things she wanted to be cruel.

"She will be fine, Esme. Just give her some time." Carlisle said, leaning over my shoulder to kiss my cheek. I smiled slightly, and turned around.

Wrapping my arms around my husband and he wrapping his arms around me always made me feel better. I sank into his chest, which seemed like it was made just for me, and let him sway me back and forth.

"I need to go and talk to her." I told Carlisle, sighing heavily.

"You will do what is right. She has to learn, Love." He said, kissing me once more. I looked at him and nodded. Of course she did. That did not mean that it was any easier for me to teach her.

*

*

*

I didn't bother knocking on Alice's door because it was wide open when I got to her room. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Alice, sweetie, we need to talk." I told her, shutting the door behind me. She let out a low sigh and sat up. She was trying her best to keep her comments to herself.

I walked over and sat beside her, and tucked her hair behind her ear. Immediately she looked down at her hands, something she only did when she was ashamed of something that she had done, or was feeling guilty.

"Alice, do you want to tell me anything?"

She continued to look down at her hands, which were now folded in her lap.

"I would prefer you get my punishment over with." Alice said. I sighed at looked at her.

"Alice, that is not the point of this discussion." I told her gently.

Then Alice jumped up and stared at me.

"I know that you are going to whip me! I saw it! You can stop playing stupid and just get this stupid punishment over with!" Alice yelled at me. I sighed even deeper this time. She just didn't know when to stop.

"Alice, I thought that you had calmed down enough that we could talk like adults…"

"Mom, obviously I am never going to be an adult. I am always going to be thirteen. I am always going to have to listen to your stupid ass rules. I am always going to be the damn baby. I AM ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE THIS WAY! SO, THERE IS NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT. SO, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET THIS OVER WITH!" Alice yelled at me. I stared down at her. She was shaking with anger.

I stood up and grabbed her arms gently and pulled her towards me in a hug. She fought me the entire time. But, I kept her pulled against my chest until she stopped fighting me.

"Mama, let me go!" She said instead, sobbing.

"Alice, Stop. Right now." I told her, finally raising my voice to her.

"Let me go, then!" Alice said, taking her hands and trying to push me away. I had had enough.

"Alice, Stop." I said, and smacked her butt several times, hard, to make her stop.

"Oww." She said quietly, defeated. She lowered her hands to try and rub the 'hurt' out of her rear, but I grabbed her hands to prevent it.

"Alice, I have had enough. You have been given your punishment. One month grounding. Yet, you continue to act as if you may do as you please. If need be, Alice Brandon Cullen, I will wear your behind out to the point that you will not be able to sit down for days. Do you understand me?"  
I asked her.

Her body stiffened.

"Alice?"

She stood there, my arms still draped around her, her body stiff. She didn't say a word. I sighed. I knew that I had to punish her one way or the other, but that did not mean that I liked to. On the contrary, I hated punishing her.

"I guess you know what I must do." I told her. It made me sad that Alice was being so stubborn. It was so unlike her.

"Please, just get it over with." Alice whispered.

"Okay Alice. Five swats. Then you will spend the rest of the night in your room unless your father or I tell you differently." I told her. She still said nothing.

I walked over to her bed and sat down. Reluctantly, she followed me. I guided her over my lap.

Quickly, I swatted her five times and sat her up.

Immediately, she stood up and walked into her bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. Normally that would warrant a lecture about respect, but I knew that neither of us were in the mood to endure anything further.

*

*

*

I went back downstairs and walked directly into Carlisle's office. He was standing there, waiting on me.

He wrapped his arms around me.

"Love, it will be okay." He whispered in my ear.

"I know... it is just so hard to discipline her. She is my baby, but she has acted absolutely horrible today. It is so unlike her to act this way. I am not sure what to do with her. We have both talked to her and we have punished her. What if she continues to act like this?" I asked him.

"Our Alice will be back soon. We just have to give her some space." Carlisle told me. I nodded, placing my head on his shoulder.

"Mama?" a tinkling little voice said from behind me. I knew that tone and voice anywhere.

Alice, my baby, needing and wanting to make amends for her transgressions before she could have any more free thoughts.

It was the voice that I needed to hear.

"Yes Alice?" I asked her, letting go of Carlisle and turning around.

Without saying anything, Alice ran over to me with lightening speed and threw her tiny arms around my neck, literally lifting herself off of the ground.

"I am so sorry for what I did Mama. I shouldn't have done any of it, but I really sorry that I put myself and our family into danger. I know that it was not fair that all of this happened just because you would not let me stay home from school and it made me mad."

"It will be okay Alice, I just want you to come and talk to me next time. I understand that this morning was partly my fault, because I was wrapped up in another issue and did not even ask you why you wanted to stay home from school, and I should have. Although it is too late, and you will be staying home from school for the next five school days, would you like to explain it to me now?" I asked her. Alice looked at me, and then looked at the floor quickly.

And then did something that I know all too well.

She quickly took her right hand and played with her hair that hangs by her left ear.

Something she only did when she was embarrassed.

I knew instantly why she wanted to stay home.

"Alice Brandon Cullen, young lady, are you going to tell me that you wanted to stay home, and all of this trouble happened, because the school was giving the sex talk again?" I asked her, trying to contain my laughter that was threatening to spill out.

Alice looked up at me sheepishly.

Yes. That was EXACTLY why my little angel wanted to stay home from school. The sex talk, even after all the times that she has gone through it, still embarrasses her if she hears it at school.

I pulled Alice into a tight hug and whispered into her ear.

"Alice, don't worry about it. All of this will be over before you know it and we can put it behind us. I just want you to talk to us from now on, and know that no matter what, your father and I would not change anything about you for anything in the world."

Alice hugged me tighter.

"Thank you, Mama. I love you." She said, and I knew at that moment, that there would never be anything that could possibly come between the members of our family.

"Come on, Sweetheart. You and I are going to go hunt and talk. I think that we have a lot to talk about. "

"I think that you are right, Mama." Alice told me, and then hugged me even tighter.


End file.
